The present invention relates generally to improvements in kitchen utensils, more particularly to an improved rolling pin such as is used in households and bakeries for rolling out dough or for similar operations associated with baking or in the processing of a material having a consistency of a similar nature. Rolling pins, though commonly used for centuries, have been improved within the last century as exemplified by the teaching of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. :
777,349 -- Mitchell: Dec. 13,1904 PA1 855,042 -- Cattlin: May 28, 1907 PA1 2,652,009 -- Mees: Sept. 15, 1953 PA1 2,725,830 -- Shebesta: Dec. 6, 1955
The patent to Cattlin discloses a rolling pin having a flour hopper mounted thereon with vertically sliding plates which have a lower edge positioned adjacent the peripheral cylindrical surface of the pin. The plates of Cattlin do not function, however, to remove adhering dough from the rolling pin. Mitchell discloses a dough-forming machine in which a scraper or blade removes dough from the rolls of the machine. Mees and Shebesta disclose handle attachments for rolling pins. The prior art does not disclose an attachment for a conventional rolling pin which can be removably attached to the handles of the rolling pin and having an edge member extending longitudinally of the working surface of the pin and closely spaced therefrom to strip dough from the pin on working of a mass of dough.
The present invention provides an essentially unitary dough stripping attachment for a conventional rolling pin, the attachment having flexible end members formed with semi-cylindrical sleeve members which snap onto the handle members of the rolling pin. A major body portion of the present attachment located between the flexible end members is of a length which is slightly greater than the longitudinal length of the cylindrical working portion of the rolling pin to allow the rolling pin to rotate while the present dough stripping attachment is held essentially stationary relative to the pin. The major body portion of the attachment has spaced stripper edges which are mutually parallel and extend longitudinally of the rolling pin, the edges each being spaced from the rolling peripheral cylindrical surface of the pin a distance sufficient to allow rotation of the pin without allowing any gross material adhering thereto to be carried along on said pin surface. Thus, the rolling pin can be rolled in either possible direction, the present attachment acting in either situation to strip dough or other adhering material from the working surface of the pin. The flexible end members which snap over the handles of the rolling pin are naturally held by a user of the pin to prevent rotation of the attachment with the rolling pin.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a rolling pin and an attachment therefor which comprises spaced stripping edges capable of stripping adhering material from the working surface of the pin regardless of the direction of rotation of the pin.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a detachable dough stripping attachment for a rolling pin, which attachment has flexible end members which snap fit over the handles of a rolling pin, the attachment being prevented from rotation with the rolling pin by pressure exerted on the end members by a user holding the handles of the pin and working said pin in a usual manner.
These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.